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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: charge · chip · pound · chest · prune · current · present · saw

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. charge — in control
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. current — happening now
  5. charge — a price
  6. present — a gift
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chip — for betting
  9. chest — a box
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. current — electric
  13. chip — to eat
  14. current — of water
  15. prune — to trim
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. present — there
  18. present — the time now
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. chest — of your body
  21. charge — electricity
  22. saw — the tool
  23. chest — of your body
  24. prune — to trim

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com